Page 136 - ART FORM AND MENTAL HEALTH - Ingrid Pénzes

These findings directed the research project towards a clearer understanding of art therapists’ interpretations of the formal elements of art products made in art therapy observation. Literature on assessing formal elements in art therapy observation appeared to be inconsistent regarding which formal elements to observe, how to operationalise them and how to interpret them in terms of mental health. In Chapter 4 we wanted to know how art therapists described adult mental health and we wanted to identify exactly which formal elements of the art product art therapists observed in order to gain insight in clients’ mental health in clinical art therapy practice. As to the formal elements of the art product, the art therapists primarily observed the presence or absence of the formal elements ‘movement’, ‘dynamic’, ‘contour’ and ‘repetition’, known as the primary formal elements, in combination with the ‘mixture of color’, ‘figuration’ and ‘color saturation’, known as the secondary formal elements. The combination of the presence or absence of these formal elements construed the ‘structure’ and ‘variation’ of the art product. ‘Structure’ referred to the way the art product was organized, varying from clearly high to low structured, i.e. very organized versus chaotic. Art products with a high structure – those that were very organized – were construed by the presence of ‘contour’ and ‘repetition’ in combination with the absence of ‘movement’ and ‘dynamic’. This structure could be enhanced by the presence of ‘color saturation’ in combination with the absence of ‘mixture of color’. Art products with low structure – those that were chaotic – were construed by the presence of ‘movement’ and ‘dynamic’ in combination with the absence of ‘contour’ and ‘repetition’. The structure could be weakened by the presence of ‘mixture of color’ and the absence of ‘figuration’.
‘Variation’ referred to diversity in one or more formal elements within the art product, e.g. diversity in contour existed when some aspects of the art product were clearly outlined and others were diffused. Art products demonstrated less ‘variation’ when they were placed on the polarities of the continuum of ‘structure’, i.e. when they were extremely organized or chaotic.
In regard to mental health, the art therapists were exceptionally reserved in describing mental health in terms of psychopathology. They more explicitly observed clients’ possibilities and strengths than clients’ mental problems. Two main concepts emerged: ‘balance’ and ‘adaptability’. ‘Balance’ existed when ‘feeling’, i.e. allowing, experiencing and expressing emotions, and ‘thought’, i.e. cognitive control, were in proportion to each other. In other words, clients who were able to experience, allow and
134 | Chapter 6